Primedia/About.com Lawsuit

Levinson et al. v. Primedia et al.

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In March, 2002, 34 former and current About.com "Guides" filed a class-action suit in New York against Primedia Inc., About.com, former About.com CEO Scott Kurnit, and unnamed "John Does." An amended complaint was filed in November, 2002, with 77 named plaintiffs. Major claims in the lawsuit include violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, New York state labor laws, and breach of contract (including questionable accounting practices).

April, 2008 update: In August, 2007, the judge denied most of the defendants' claims for summary judgment and granted a claim for summary judgment to the plaintiffs on a major accounting issue. In early 2008, plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification.

Why this lawsuit is of interest to writers:

For writers, key issues in the case include claims of fraudulent or "fictititous" accounting and failure to pay contractually required earnings. See the Wired News story, About.com That Labor Lawsuit, for an interview with the lead attorney in the case.

Read the complaint (full text)